M A G A Z I N E

AQUALOGY - Where water lives

Nº 4 - SUMMER 2014

FARMING’SBIG CHALLENGE

THIS IS NOT AN APPLE.IT’S 125 LITRES OF WATER.IT’S UP TO US TO REDUCE THAT...

> SEWAGE SYSTEMA tour of one of

the most important and least known urban networks

WASTE,AN ASSET

A STEP BY STEP VIEW

OF AQUALYSIS AND CTH

IRRIGATIONRAIN TO SUIT

EVERYONE

Technology for more sustainable crops

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More than waterTalent, knowledge and commitment.We provide adequate responses formore efficient management.We share knowledge and wegenerate innovation.We work for a future based oncommitment and cooperation.

INTEGRATED WATERSOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT

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EDITORIAL

Talking about sustainable development invites you to take a journey, to think ourselves into the future; it widens our focus to address and ensure the welfare of generations yet to come. By 2030 there will be 8.3 billion inhabitants on the planet, with a growing demand for water for farming, industry and domestic use, according to order of importance. How to feed this population is being described as one of the planet’s greatest challenges.There is an urgent need to fi nd tools and the consensus to achieve greater effi cien-cy in the way we use water for farming, which at present takes up 70 per cent of the water we use –this issue is tackled in an article on irrigation– and for industry, which relies on water as one of the main factors in the production process. The path towards a sustainable future has to be guided by innovation –innovative technology, processes or approaches to challenges– combined with actions that help envision it, promote it and secure commitment from everyone concerned. A good example of actions leading to balanced progress is the process under-gone by Cartagena de Indias, which, based on a firm commitment to better access to water, has been able to build a model of social and economic develop-ment informed by ongoing dialogue with the community and local interest groups.There are many factors involved in defi ning the concept of well-being. A conversation in San Sebastián with Narciso Berberana

helps to rethink the parameters and priorities that give life to this concept. No present-day development can be allowed to put future development at risk. Ensuring future welfare has to involve not only leading innovation processes with global scope and applicability; it must also serve as a standard bearer of our binding commitment to safety at work and risk prevention, a new opportunity for us to endorse our top priority of commitment to people, Aqualogy’s core value.It looks as though a future of self-sus-tainable energy installations is becom-ing less of a utopia and more like reality, due to continuous thermal hydrolysis, an innovative process by which sludge pro-duced by wastewater treatment is given a second life. This innovation has been possible because of the close partnership between universities and enterprise, a duo that will undoubtedly be able to promote and channel a great many projects with excellent future prospects.Water security for everyone is a goal shared by governments, institutions and business. We had the chance to discuss the need to work in a coordinated way to achieve this, encouraging more direct communication between scientists and decision makers, with Blanca Jimenez Cisneros, Director of the Water Sciences Division at UNESCO. She reminds us that we should watch and learn from nature and from indigenous peoples, who follow an excellent sustainable water culture.

Water and future

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28. HOW IT WORKSSmart Metering, a fail-safe system for an exact calculation of every single drop consumed.

36. PLANET WATERHow and why Cartagena de Indias has changed its ways with the spotlight on water.

38. VIEWPOINTTamara Echegoyen, a Spanish sailing legend, tells us about her special bond with water.

30. IN FOCUS SEWAGE SYSTEMS: A JOURNEY INTO THE UNDERWORLD It’s called Advanced Sewerage Network Cleaning Management (GALIA) and is proving to be extremely suc-cessful in cities like San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Huelva and Reus. An article covering all the aspects of this Aqualogy experience.

22. SOLUTIONS CTH: CONVERTING WASTE INTO COMMODITIESContinuous Thermal Hydrolysis (CTH) is an Aqualogy procedure enabling sludge produced by wastewater treatment plants to be converted into a new energy-pro-ducing raw material. A new step towards energy self-suffi ciency.

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6. NEWSFLASHESSustainability and effi ciency in ten news ashes. New irrigated land in Navarre, technological successes in other countries, the iBeach app, third year of the Aqualogy Master’s degree... And more.

10. SPOTLIGHT ONBlanca Jiménez Cisneros, Director of the Water Sciences Division at UNESCO, advises taking our cue from indigenous cultures and their special relationship with water.

11. A STORY IN FIGURESThe planet is thirsty. There are 7 billion of us human beings and farming absorbs 70% of drinking water. Data and gures to ponder.

18. VIP INTERVIEW NARCISO BERBERANAThe Director General of S&T Aqualogy traces the route map for making sustainable development socially and economically viable.

34. THE IMAGEThe Canary Islands, in a photo awarded a NASA prize. Seeing is believing. Aqualogy cooperates with the Canarias Costa Limpia project by caring for the marine en-vironment around the archipelago.

12. OUR CLIENTSIRRIGATED LAND: WATER FOR EVERYONEAqualogy acts in 450,000 hec-tares of irrigated land across the whole world, resulting in effi cient water management, reduced electricity costs and increased farming production.

SUMMARY

PUBLISHED BY: AQUALOGYChairman of the Editorial Board: Angel Simón. General Coordination of the Editorial Board: Juan Antonio Guijarro. Editorial Board: Narciso Berberana, Manuel Cermerón, José Guerra, José María Paredes, Ciril Rozman, Pedro Vega. Director: José Guerra. Coordination: Josep M. Deu. Copy: Robert Lozano, Sandra Llobell and Vicente Jorge. Also contributing to this issue: Fundación Aquae, Ferran Martí, Pau Cabruja. www.aqualogy.net

PRODUCED BY: LA FACTORÍ@Prisa Revistas. Valentín Beato, 48. 28037 Madrid. Tel: 915 38 61 04. Director of La Factoría: Virginia Lavín. Deputy Director: Javier Olivares. Head and Coordinator of Art Department:Andrés Vázquez. Coordination and copy: Rodolfo Chisleanschi. Head of Photography: Paola Pérez. Design Supervision: Rodríguez y Cano Contributor: Beatriz Valdeón. Production: Asip(Agrupación de Servicios de Internet y Prensa, SL). Printing: Monterreina. Legal deposit: M-7540-2013.

SUMMER2014

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2 Plants for mining com-panies in Chile and Peru

Two of the biggest copper mines in Chile are due to have new re-verse osmosis desalination plants installed, operated and maintained by Aqualogy. One of the plants will be in Sie-rra Gorda, in the northern region of Antofagasta, which produces 120,000 tonnes of copper every year. The other Aqualogy desali-nation plant will be in the Atacama region and will safeguard operational continuity of the Mantoverde mine,

near the town of Flamenco. At the same time, Aqualogy will supply the Glencore Xstrata company with three industrial effluent treat-ment plants in Peru. Two of these plants will deal with effluent from the Yauliyacu mining operation and will be in the province of Hua-rochirí, department of Lima. The third plant will be supplied for the Iscaycruz mine in the province of Oyón, also in the department of Lima.

THE QUARTER IN 10 NEWSFLASHES

Third edition of the Aqualogy

Master’s degree3

The 3rd edition of the Master’s in Wa-ter Technology and Management is now underway. The course, taught by Aqualogy, accredited by the Universi-tat Politècnica de Catalunya and part of the European Higher Education Area, is aimed at professionals, attracting company managers from Spain and from other countries like Venezuela and Turkey. The Master’s degree course combines classroom sessions and on-line learning and ends in July 2015.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY

BRAZIL AND BELGIUM OPT FOR AQUALOGY TECHNOLOGY

Essencis, the largest industrial waste company in Brazil, has placed its trust in Aqualogy’s tech-nology for setting up a pilot treatment plant for the electrochemical treatment of leachates. Essencis has a treatment capacity of 3 million cubic metres of industrial waste. Aqualogy has also been making its mark in Belgium. To be more exact, it will be implementing EQ-TECH technology in the Cetprobel factory owned by the Yara-Maxam group.

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Effi cient farming gains ground in NavarreA CANAL EXTENSION WILL CREATE 15,275 HECTARES OF NEW IRRIGATED LAND

15,275 hectares along the banks of the Arga and Ega rivers in Navarre are set to be transformed into irri-gated land owing to the extension of the area irrigated by the fi rst phase of the Navarre Canal, a project ad-judicated to the consortium formed by OHL and Agbar.The project is the largest public works tender process to take place in the Comunidad Foral in recent years, “and perhaps in the whole of Spain too”, commented Juan Luis Sánchez

de Muniaín, Deputy President of the Navarre government, with a total budget of € 147.5m.The work, which has “strategic val-ue for providing a backbone for the Comunidad”, in the words of Yolan-da Barcina, President of Navarre, includes building a 21.3 kilometre canal off shoot between the towns of Artajona and Lerín, helping to create around 500 new jobs dur-ing the construction phase, which is expected to take place between late

2014 and early 2018. The project also establishes that the concessionary fi rm Aguas de Navarra S.A. will be taking care of managing and operating this part of the canal over the coming 30 years. At the moment, the artifi cial channel is 177 kilometres long, carry-ing and distributing water from the Itoiz reservoir and enabling some 22,300 hectares of land to be irri-gated. Once the work is completed, the canal is expected to supply 53,125 hectares of land.

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Northumbrian Water opts for Ice Pigging

Ice Pigging technology continues to gain ground all over the world as the fastest and most eff ective method of cleaning and fl ushing out water pipes. As part of its work for English company Northumbri-an Water, Aqualogy has secured a contract in the UK for reducing water cloudiness by pumping ice slurry through the pipes to be trea-ted. Maintenance work will contin-ue throughout this year.

NEW TECHNOLOGY KEEPS ON GROWING.HUGE EFFORTS

in research

ENABLE QUALITY OF LIFE TO BE IMPROVED

EVERY DAY

Spray Lining technology, which con-sists of lining a rusty pipe with a coa-ting of urea-formaldehyde resin, has enabled 550 metres of a 400 mm pipe to be rehabilitated in Paseo del Pintor Rosales, Madrid. In addition to signifi cantly improving water quali-ty, Spray Lining can install, replace and rehabilitate pipelines without the need to dig trenches, resulting in less disruption for local residents, no damage to existing services and lo-wer costs than conventional systems.

The water well service run by Utility Service Group, the Aqualogy company based in the USA, continues to get successful results. Following its previous experience in America, the company is now tackling new challenges.USG is to rehabilitate wells in the towns of Eudora and Hutchinson, both of which are in Kansas, as well as Tower Hills, in Illinois, and Desoto (Texas).

NEW WATER WELL SERVICE SUCCESS STORIES IN THE USA

Spray Lining

arrives in Madrid7

The use of Ice Pigging technology for fl ushing sedi-ments out of water pipes is becoming increasingly popular in the USA. A number of towns in the states of Illinois, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Pennsylvania have already backed modern ice technology. And the road movie goes on...

Ice technology is gaining ground in the US

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THE QUARTER IN 10 NEWSFLASHES

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iBeach, the app for the beach, now with new countriesiBeach, the smartphone app developed by Aqualogy, has all the information you need about all of Spain’s beaches in real time, plus, from this year, it will also be covering countries like Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and the US. Safety fl ag colour, the presence of jellyfi sh and water temperature, as well as the best nearby shopping and hotel deals are all available on the app, which can be downloaded free from

iTunes and Google Play. iBeach is now providing 18,000 georeferenced beaches, including 3,500 in Spain, as well as photographs and descriptions of beaches and information about the weather and sea conditions.The app also features symbols for weather forecasts, temperature, wind, waves and sunrise and sunset, plus a search engine for fi nding the best beaches.

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“It’s a service that people aren’t really aware of when there aren’t any problems. But to make sure they don’t happen there must be suffi cient resources”. These words from Nora Galparsoro, Deputy Mayor at San Sebastián City Council, sum up perfectly the task that Aqualogy has been busy with since 1 June in the capital of Guipuzcoa, where it has been providing a maintenance and cleaning service for the sewerage network. A presentation that took place in the Kursaal Congress Centre described the main tasks being carried out and the innovation, occupational risk prevention and advanced technology involved; plus, some of the water pumping and suction vehicles and inspection units being used were displayed.

HIGH LEVEL SERVICE IN THE SAN SEBASTIÁN SUBSOIL

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THE EARTH’S THIRST

THE STORY IN FIGURES

AGRICULTURE

The planet simply doesn’t have enough rainfall to feed itself and

provide the food that the

7 BILLION HUMANS

inhabiting it need for survival.IT NEEDS EXTRA FRESH WATER.And that’s why

FARMING TAKES UP

70% OF THE TOTAL

available for consumption,

much more than the 22% TAKEN UP BY INDUSTRY

and the 8% DESTINED FOR DOMESTIC USE.

An estimated

OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT MATCHED BY THE COST

mainly because 54% is taken up by factories. At the other extreme,

AFRICA uses 88% of its water resources on irrigation, compared to barely

5% for industrial use.

In EUROPE, the quantity used on farming land falls to 33%

3,000LITRES OF WATER PER PERSON

are needed to produce our daily food supply.

and the 5,263 for cotton, the crop with the greatest water footprint... even though it isn’t edible.

So, 1 kilo of corn requires 454 litres of water;

and 1 kilo of soya bean, 900 litres.

These gures seem insigni cant compared to the

5,000 litres needed to obtain 1 kilo of rice,

IT WON’T BE AN EASY TASK

INCREASING EFFICIENCY

to reduce this footprint is one of the great challenges facing the farming industry.

The other is increasing current food

production by 50% by 2030, and then doubling it by 2050.

More effort and imagination will be needed to achieve higher production

at lower cost.

1 kilo of wheat, 590 litres;

AQUALOGY. Integrated water solutions for sustainable development

NOTHING IS THIRSTIER THAN THE EARTH ITSELF

HE

OF COURSE, THIS IS AN AVERAGE, AS NOT ALL CROPS

ARE EQUALLY THIRSTY.

AUSTRALIA, with

425 MILLON HECTARES,

is the country with the largest area of farming land,

340 MILLION,

followed byBRAZIL, with

THE UNITED STATES, with 220 million, and RUSSIA, with196 million.

IN EUROPE, FRANCE is the leader with

28 MILLION

In SPAIN, farmed land covers17 MILLION HECTARES, nearly 40% of which

is given over to cereals and 15% to olive groves. Barely 3.5 million hectares of this is

irrigated land.ANDALUSIA is the

biggest agricultural area, with a little over 1,000,000 hectares

of farmed land, followed by CASTILE-LA MANCHA

with 500,000. In contrast, CANTABRIA has a little over

500 hectares.

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What is the level of international cooperation on water issues?Fortunately, there are many organ-isations dealing with water issues. There are also some very good examples of coordinated interac-tion between them. Two examples of this are the UNESCO Interna-tional Hydrological Programme (IHP), the only programme with the mandate to link scientific dis-covery with decision-making in all countries, and UN Water, a United Nations coordination mechanism that works with water issues. In contrast, examples in the political arena are less numerous.

Is the fact that there is no full co-operation due more to political or economic issues?I think it’s a matter of both, as nowadays political decisions influence econo-mies and vice versa. In the case of water, both are hugely important, although as far as governments are concerned, as water is a resource for which there is widespread competi-tion, the public interest should really be a fundamental consideration.

How does the UNESCO Water Sciences Division work to encour-age cooperation?It has three functions. Firstly, to pro-mote international cooperation on

issues aff ecting water security. Also to develop institutional and human skills to ensure that we achieve water security for everyone. And lastly, to develop or strengthen, if it already is in place, an interface between scien-tists and decision makers to secure water security worldwide.

What is the main problem with wa-ter, scarcity or contamination?Both, depending on local conditions. In arid and semiarid areas, the wa-ter shortage problem may be more acute. The issue of contamination is important in areas where there is little treatment in place for waste, public or industrial water.

What kind of investment is ideal

for improving the rate of supply?It’s estimated that investment should be close to 2% of GDP. At the mo-ment, the world average is probably close to less than half that fi gure.

Is there a water culture?Undoubtedly. I think what we need to defi ne is what type of water cul-ture we have. Indigenous peoples still have an excellent sustainable water culture in place, and us “mo-dern societies” should be learning from them. Learning to live with our surroundings involves recognising that we are part of that environ-ment and that protecting it means protecting ourselves, like they did in antiquity or like some cultures still do to this very day.

Blanca Jiménez Cisneros

“INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE AN EXCELLENT WATER CULTURE THAT MODERN

SOCIETIES SHOULD COPY”

> PUBLIC INTERESTFor Blanca Jiménez Cisneros, water policy should be guided by the public interest, although she admits that politics and economy are very closely related.

A MEXICAN WITH A GLOBAL OUTLOOK HEADS THE WATER DIVISION AT UNESCO

SPOTLIGHT ON

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OUR CLIENTS

IRRIGATION: RAIN TO SUIT EVERYONE

MORE SUSTAINABILITY, LOWER COSTS AND TAILORED TO REQUIREMENTS: KEY FEATURES OF AQUALOGY’S

MANAGEMENT SERVICE FOR AGRICULTURE

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WATERING SYSTEMS

SURFACE OR GRAVITY FEDWater is distributed over the surface of the plot by means of gravity.Methods

include irrigation by ooding, furrows and basin. Water is channelled from the water

collection facility to the plot by xed means.

SPRINKLER SYSTEMWater is pumped through hoses at high pressure to the sprin-kler mechanism. This system is usually xed and generally

covers the whole plot.Or it may be portable, irrigating by sectors, like xed sprinkler

systems. Another form of sprinkler system is the travel-ling sprinkler. In this method,

water is pumped at high pressure through hoses to the sprinkler mechanism, which

moves along the plot by itself. Systems based on pivot and automotive mechanisms are

included in this method.It diff ers from the xed type

in that the sprinkler is mobile.

LOCALISED OR DRIPWater is delivered drop by

drop to the soil via high-pres-sure hoses with openings or drip valves. It is usually a xed mechanism, and the main distribution system may be buried under the

soil. This type of irrigation includes micro sprinklers and

similar systems.

OUR CLIENTS

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“it’s raining hard today, very hard, and it looks like they’re scrubbing down the world...” Juan Gelman

The farmer gazes at the sky in relief. His non-irrigated land needed water urgently to prevent a fi eld of barley under serious threat from being completely ruined. This time, provided the clouds don’t overdo things, his crop seems safe. But he knows it won’t always be like this. And he wishes, somewhat wistfully, that he’d been born in an area where land is irrigated using the latest technology so he could make the most of the advances and benefi ts that the sector journals are always advertising. Life in the country was never easy, and from time immemorial life has revolved round water. That’s why managing it, controlling it and using it effi ciently has been an unremitting struggle throughout human history. A struggle that still goes on, in some places around the world more than in others, and on which entire peoples depend for their survival. “Lack of water is a limiting factor in Spain, but at the same time it has turned this country into a world leader in irrigation” ex-plains Javier Borso di Carminati, Aqualogy’s Irrigation Director, “and as we manage to improve effi ciency, the amount of artifi -cially irrigated land will continue to grow”. At present, 3,540,560 hectares of Spanish land are occupied by this type of farming and watered by means other than by rainfall. This accounts for barely 16% of total farmed land but, and this is the main reason for the misery of people who have no alternative but to wait for rain, it provides 55% of all crops harvested in the country. Or, to put it another way, one hec-tare of irrigated land produces 6 times more than a hectare of non-irrigated land, multiplying its profi tability fourfold.

REDUCING THE ENERGY BILLOf course, irrigation is not a modern invention. It has existed since farming began and in Spain it was already being used in Al-Andalus, or even earlier. But what has changed are the methods, and with them, the way irrigation is managed.In this sense, two main issues can improve performance in an Ir-rigation Community: achieving a high level of energy effi cien-cy and maintaining extremely technical equipment correctly. To meet these targets, we need to know all the members of the irrigation community well, what they grow, how big their plots are, the location of their hydrants, etc. By doing this we can control the water supply network correctly, making ad-justments to pumping stations, contracting the best electricity supply tariff s and making sure they perform better for longer by carrying out proper maintenance.This means that getting advice from a highly qualifi ed multi-disciplinary team is essential. The energy issue is of primary

> WATER WHEREVER IT’S NEEDEDSince 2004, localised irrigation has been gaining ground and is now used on 48.23% of irrigated land in Spain.It’s the most effi cient system of all, as it uses less water and less power: 1 kilo of pressure compared to 3.5 kilos needed by sprinkler systems.

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> EVERYTHING CAN BE RECYCLEDApart from the type of irrigation used, where the water comes from is also changing. In the Balearics and the Canary Islands, for example, water from treatment plants is used to supplement scarce natural supply.

importance, as gravity fed irrigation systems are gradually be-ing abandoned in favour of sprinkler systems and, especially, drip or localised systems. But this entails a major increase in electricity costs, and learning to get the best out of the system is vital for improving the yearly balance sheets of plantations. These, and many other things, are taken care of by Aqualogy’s Integrated Management Service for Irri-gation Communities, providing a wide range of tools that include engineering works and advice on the best type of crops to grow, plus updating land registry information, fi nancial management and calculating how the water sup-ply needs to be shared out.

“It’s raining on the green countryside...What peace! The water opens and the November grassis like pale diamonds...” Juan Ramón Jiménez

The farmer, who is middle aged but very experienced in coun-tryside issues, looks at the sky and guesses that the following day the clouds will take care of watering his ears of wheat, and if that’s not the case, he’ll use his telephone or smartphone to contact the control centre to request the irrigation hours he’ll need 24 hours later. In the control centre, a technician will adjust the pumping sta-tion curves according to the current state of the water supply. All members of the irrigation community will benefi t from it. This is farming, 21st century style. Technology, effi ciency, bet-ter quality of life, more free time. The remote management platform, one of the great contributions that Aqualogy’s Integrated Management Service provides for irrigation communities, doesn’t just take care of opening and closing the mains supply tap. It also provides data on fl ow, cubic me-tres used and even the invoicing fi gures for each member of the irrigation community. “Apart from its performance ad-vantages, irrigation also involves a clear commitment to sus-tainable development, as in social terms, it enables the rural population to remain steady”, emphasises Javier Borso. The challenge consists of expanding farming areas that are suit-able for artifi cial irrigation. To achieve this, concludes Borso, “it’s vital to allow companies with the right expertise to take over management functions, as they have the experience and the right tools”. This would be the way to ensure that, at last, all farming professionals get the rain that suits them. ©

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OUR CLIENTS

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AQUALOGY

JAVIER BORSOIrrigation Director

What specifi c aims does the service provided by Aqualogy pursue in the irrigation market?They can be summed up in three factors: managing water effi ciently, increasing pro tability by reducing costs, espe-cially in the electricity bill, and increasing production in a sustainable way.

How does an irrigation community reduce its electricity bill?Nowadays, farmers are facing a serious problem, as the con-tracted power, which is the xed part of the bill, has increased in price by more than 400% in recent times, and is something that they have pay all year round, regardless of the fact that they are only watering for 5 to 6 months.Reducing this cost entails using renewable forms of energy, keeping a watchful eye on the energy market to seize the best price options and making sure the system is working as effi ciently as possible.

Is the Spanish irrigation method exportable?Of course it is, and Aqualogy is leading the way, as we know the problems associated with water and how to resolve them better than anyone. We’re putting business plans together in Latin American and North African countries like Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Morocco and Algeria, where they’re investing heavily in irrigation infrastructure. IL

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AQUALOGY ACTS IN 450,000 HECTARESof irrigated land in various places across the world andALREADY HAS BUSINESS PLANS IN LATIN AMERICA AND SOME NORTH AFRICAN COUNTRIES,such as Chile, BRAZIL AND ALGERIA

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF AN IRRIGATION COMMUNITY

TYPES OF IRRIGATION:A DECADE OF PROGRESS

INFRASTRUCTURE

SOIL AND CROPS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGYSTAFF

EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT

ENERGY BILLS TYPES OF IRRIGATED

LAND

Surface area (ha) Variations

2004 2009 2013 2004/13

Gravity 1.230,073 1.064,248 1.004,782 -18.32%Sprinkler 536,654 479,697 529,215 -1.39%Travelling 259,434 265,897 298,169 +14.93%Localised 1.197,465 1.591,616 1.707,576 +42.60%Other systems and no information

54,433 19,847 816 -98.50%

TOTAL 3.278,058 3.421,304 3.540,560 +8.00%

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VIP INTERVIEW

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“No current development can be allowed to put the future at risk. Not just our children’s future, but that of our grandchildren”. Sustainable Development is a more or less abstract concept depending on how it’s used. The definition employed by Narciso Berberana, Director General of S&T Aqualogy, however, is clear, straightforward and contains an action plan. “The added value in Aqualogy’s activities lies in the company’s ability to put words in to action in its services portfolio”, he explains.

What is Aqualogy’s main contribution to water management?Our main contribution is that we’re able to apply theoretical concepts in the real world. These prin-ciples form part of the company’s strategy and the theme of sustainability, zero emissions, occupational risk prevention and so on runs through our entire portfolio of services. What sets us apart from other companies is that in Aqualogy we’ve gone beyond concepts to actually put them into practice.

FOR NARCISO BERBERANA, RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL PROFITABILITY ARE AT THE CORE OF AQUALOGY’S STRATEGY TO SAFEGUARD THE WELFARE OF FUTURE GENERATIONS

“We make sustainable development profi table”

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> SAN SEBASTIÁN.A benchmark-setting service in sewerage network management that puts Aqualogy ahead of the rest

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NARCISO BERBERANA SÁENZQuali ed Industrial Engineer. Born in La

Rioja in 1968.EXPERIENCE

Joined the company in 1996. Worked

in various areas of responsibility and

locations.Regional Director up to 2005. Corporate

Managing Director in Chile up to 2008

and company Chief Operating Offi cer.

CURRENTLYDirector General of

S&T Aqualogy.

BIOPIC

It’s a fantastic improvement, but stil l a long way off our ultimate goal, which is to achieve a zero per cent accident rate.

Are there reasons for being op-timistic about the future?Yes, definitely. Realistic optimism is a false oxymoron. What’s more, reality backs us up. You only need to look back into the past, objec-tively and scientifically, to see that today’s reality is far better than the one our ancestors lived in.

The first step we took was to raise awareness. We thought that, as everything hinges on people, we needed a change of mentality, a change of culture.We t o o k i t f o r w a r d i n b o t h spheres, in the strictly personal sense and in the change of com-pany culture. Because of this and of projects like #10ReglasqueSal-van we reduced the number of incidents by 50% in 2013 and our target for 2014 is a further 30% re-duction.

The environment is everything that surrounds our everyday activity. It has to do with air, with water, with natural ecosystems, of course, but it’s also related to cities, to urban environments. Fifty per cent of the world’s population now lives in cities. Our environmental concept treats the urban environment as another natural ecosystem.

The concept talks about people. What is Aqualogy doing in terms of occupational risk prevention?

> THEORY AND PRACTICEAccording to its Director General, the company has been able to apply its main distinctive features to its entire portfolio.

VIP INTERVIEW

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And how is this being done?By setting an example. In energy, Aqualogy is an energy services company. Our entire income is related to the tangible savings made by our customers. Over the past year, the more than 137 com-panies we’ve had dealings with, both in terms of consumption and intelligent buying, have made savings of over €7m. And this is all 100% green energy.

Why is the San Sebastián sewe-rage system such an outstanding case?B e c a u s e i t ’s a s u c c e s s s t o r y shared and promoted by San Se-bastián City Council.We’ve converted concepts l ike sustainability, innovation, efficient management and technology into practice in a very traditional en-vironment like sewerage network management. During the latest storms to hit San Sebastián we were able to see for ourselves how robust the new system is.

What are Aqualogy’s key fac-tors for growth?First, you have to know the ser-vices you’re offering inside out. And at the same time, you must be aware of what your client’s real needs are.For example, we manage desali-nating plants for mining in Chile and environmental serv ices in Peru, water utilities in the United Kingdom and for the chemical industry in the US. I ’d also l ike to highlight our work in Eastern Europe, in countries like Poland. Not forgetting other places like Turkey and Algeria, in northern Africa.

At which point would you say the environment starts?I’d say it’s in people’s surroundings.

“OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCEPT TREATS THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT AS ANOTHER NATURAL ECOSYSTEM”

CIRCULAR ECONOMY“We need to take the change in paradigm on board. Up to now, when we talked about waste, we were thinking about a problem that needed tackling. The

new paradigm is that any by-product derived from processes can be turned into energy and raw material for other industrial processes”.

OPEN INNOVATION“We don’t only think about developing our own cul-ture or our own technology, keeping everything in-

side the company. We want to share. With universities, with the academic community, with governing bodies, with other indus-tries, with research centres. We believe strongly in this concept”.

EXAMPLES IN ACTION“Our applied solutions in electrochemical technolo-gy, continuous thermal hydrolysis (CTH), co-diges-

tion, STC, Idroloc, Water Wells are just a few practical examples of circular economy already up and running and proving socially, environmentally and nancially pro table for our clients”.

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A DIFFERENT CULTURE

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Turning water into

SOLUTIONS

According to “The Future We Want”, the encouraging outcome document that emerged from the Rio+20 Earth Summit organised by the UN, “one of the greatest challenges facing the strategic wa-ter sector over the coming years is to reduce the energy costs linked to production and sanitation”. Sewage treatment plant sludge is the main waste product generated by the wastewater treatment process, so we must treat it correctly to ensure we can provide a global service with envi-ronmental value. That treatment now has a name: Aqualysis. The wastewater treatment process

is the most energy intensive part of the entire water cycle. Just a cou-ple of examples to prove our point: wastewater treatment in Spain is responsible for the emission of over six million tonnes of CO2 every year. Plus, these plants consume a simi-lar amount of energy to the city of Bilbao. It’s more than likely that this level of consumption will rise as a result of new and extremely strict waste-water treatment regulations being introduced at national and European level. The conclusion is obvious: the future lies in responsible treatment.The starting-point is always to re-spond to needs identified in the

HOW CAN WE CHANGE A WASTE PRODUCT INTO AN ASSET? PROPERLY TREATED,

SLUDGE HAS HUGE AGRICULTURAL AND ENERGY POTENTIAL

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> RESPONSIBLE TREATMENTWastewater treat-ment produces 6 million tonnes of CO2 every year in Spain.Aqualysis is a solu-tion to the problem.

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AQUALOGY

LYNNE BOUCHYProduct Manager for Sludge and Biomass Recovery in Aqualogy Environment

What does Continuous Thermal Hydrolysis consist of exactly?Continuous Thermal Hydrolysis (CTH) enables cells and macromolecules in sludge to be broken down, prepar-ing them for treatment by anaerobic digestion and dehydration. That’s where the Aqualysis technology of Continuous Thermal Hydrolysis comes in, which allows more energy to be generated due to the higher amount of methane produced by anaerobic digestion (in the absence of oxygen) while it generates less end waste due to great-er degradation and improved dehydration. The entire process takes place in a more reliable environment, as higher loads can be digested, freeing up space in the digester and speeding up the process. It’s a rm commit-ment to zero waste.

How can we make these RDI advances visible on a daily basis?By following the innovation model that has currently enabled us to have a fully operational Aqualysis facility with four projects up and running. This entails working in partnership with universities and technology centres to ensure that ideas with market potential reach society in the form of high added value products and solutions that can continue to respond to constant change. Our open innovation model allows us to optimise project time and costs, to absorb external knowledge, incorporate solutions, patents, products and technology so they can develop as synergies.

What is the future for sludge treatment?With Aqualysis, we have a complete portfolio that means we can off er our clients a simple, reliable and all-round sludge treatment solution using our own technology that is not only sustainable but also brings us closer to our zero waste goal. At the moment, in line with our culture of continuous innovation, we’re working on improving the effi ciency of this technology, and its integration, with a view to increasing the robustness of the sludge treatment line as well as expanding its energy uses.IL

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Today, Aqualogy operates more than

300 wastewater treatment plants all over the world.

Aqualysis reduces costs and improves

the environment.

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market. Thinking and designing from the client’s point of view, putting the focus on simplifi cation, on opening up the thermal hydrolysis fi eld of ap-plication. Anaerobic digestion (in the absence of oxygen) or mechanisa-tion is a biological process currently implemented in the vast majority of wastewater treatment plants, the so-called WWTPs, in both large and medium-sized operations. This process enables organic material to be stabilised, achieving a signifi cant reduction in the volume of sludge produced and generating biogas that can be used for producing re-newable energy.Generating biogas for energy use (for producing electrical and ther-mal power) in WWTP introduces the possibility of making signifi cant savings on wastewater treatment, and nurtures the dream of energy self-sufficient treatment plants. At present, wastewater treatment pro-cesses are net consumers of energy.

SOLUTIONS

Under current treatment and biogas generation models, it isn’t possible to attain that kind of energy self-sus-tainability. But the aim is to turn the tables on this situation.

AQUALYSIS AS A SOLUTION Ten years of collaboration between Aqualogy and the University of Val-ladolid led to the Eureka moment: Aqualysis. This is the name given to the Continuous Thermal Hydrolysis (CTH) process that enables energy self-suffi -ciency to be achieved and minimises the environmental impact of wastewa-ter treatment. In technical terms, the process enables the sludge to be more thoroughly broken down in the digester of a wastewater treatment plant. One of its main advantages is that it op-erates on a continual basis, thereby reducing the size and complexity of the plant and keeping investment and operating costs down. “The end result is higher quality sludge,

AQUALYSIS, THE RESULT OF a partnership with the UNIVERSITY OF Valladolid, is based on CONTINUOUS THERMAL HYDROLYSIS (CTH), a process FOR ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY THAT MINIMISES THE IMPACT OFWASTEWATER TREATMENT

[PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 27]

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more sustainable and more competi-tive sludge management”, says Lynne Bouchy, Product Manager for Sludge and Biomass Recovery in Aqualogy Environment. The idea is to multiply results and accelerate their incorpora-tion into the business DNA. Energy integration is another key con-cept of Aqualysis. Energy recovery is based on the recovery of heat from the exhaust given off by the cogeneration engines, recovering the fl ash vapour in the preheater and recovering heat to warm up the digesters. It’s a solution designed to appeal from the start; its compact and optimised design means it can offer a financially via-ble technological solution not only for large-scale plants, but also medi-um-sized facilities, for upwards from 150,000 population equivalents. An improvement that will be felt in our pockets and also in the envi-ronment, as using steam as a heat source makes the system highly energy efficient. Today, Aqualogy operates more than 300 WWTPs across the world.

A HAPPY ENDINGThe eff ect in terms of tangible benefi ts is immediate: up to a 30% increase in biogas production, a reduction in the amount of sludge by the same pro-portion and up to a 10% improvement in the dryness of the sludge. Plus, in-creasing digestion capacity up to 50% means that volume is freed up in the di-gesters and the plant can operate with fewer functioning units. In the case of new and expanded plants, much less building space will be needed. As icing on the cake and due to the specifi c con-ditions in which it operates, Aqualysis enables the elimination of pathogens in the hydrolysed sludge, and does away with the frequent foaming problems. Because water quenches the industry’s thirst, and industry nourishes a society that demands sustainability.

> SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONToday, Aqualogy operates more than 300 wastewater treatment plants all over the world. Aqualysis reduces costs and improves the environment.

[CONT’D. FROM PAGE 24]

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SOLUTIONS

UNIVERSITY AND ENTERPRISE: TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER

The close partnership between Aqualogy and the University of Valladolid, a highly prestigious collabora-tion in the eld of anaerobic digestion, has been able to successfully negotiate the feared “valley of death” that dominates our economy: academic know-how nds no practical outlet in the business world. A third, and essential, pillar for this stra-tegic alliance has been pro-vided by Public Administra-tion, speci cally by means of the Centre for Industrial Technological Development

(CDTI), a body that channels funding and support for R&D projects. University-enter-prise partnership enables us to combine the best of both worlds: universities have the resources for the development and analysis of technological processes from basic principles and of conceptual detail. Enterprise contributes the industriali-sation and responding to the client viewpoint that’s need-ed to being successful on the market, taking the idea from prototype through to product. Converting knowl-

edge into new technology. Direct contact, synergies as the non-negotiable leitmotif for outlining a plan of action enabling a new version of CTH to be developed that’s even more robust and effi cient in the shortest possible time. Innovation yes, pro table application on a daily basis, of course. The enterprise-universi-ty duo, far from being a passing fad, is becoming an essential alliance in times of economic recovery, and a window of opportunity for growing as a society.

CTH ALLOWS US TO INCREASE sludge breakdown

IN THE DIGESTER OF A WASTEWATER

treatment plant. IT REDUCES THE SIZE

of the plant AND KEEPS INVESTMENT AND OPERATING

COSTS DOWN

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HOW IT WORKS

TRANSMISSION The remote reading antennae are similar to mobile phone masts and usually cover a radius of 500 metres, meaning that one is installed per square kilometre. VHF radiofrequency transmission is the preferred method when a large number of users is involved, as it has a greater range and can cover more extensive networks with less equipment. iMeter modules also obtain better quality data and will not lose them even if the system goes down. They are used for industries consuming large quantities of water or for customers based a long way from a built-up area.

THE DATA Everything picked up by the intermediate networks is transferred to large servers via bre optic cable or GPRS. There, the data are veri ed and stored in a database waiting for queries. Technicians use it to check that the exact amount of water needed is injected into each water supply sector ; end consumers can use it to monitor their hourly usage; and the concessionary company in charge of supply to a city can use it to produce invoices and justify how much customers are being charged down to the last drop.

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METERINGAPPLYING THE MOST MODERN DATA TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY MEANT WE COULD CREATE A SYSTEM THAT CALCULATES WATER USAGE IN EACH HOME

RELIABLY AND SENDS INFORMATION ABOUT IT ALMOST INSTANTLY.

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SMART

THE MODULE The rst step in Smart Metering is to t a small radio frequency module to every water meter, wherever each one may be. At the moment there are two Aqualogy solutions, one that works by using the VHF transmission network and another – called iMeter – that uses the GPRS telephone system. They both capture measurements on how much water is being used, making 24 hourly readings per day, just like SMS messages sent by a mobile phone. The information is sent to a remote reading antenna installed nearby.

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Words, images, sounds are all transmitted through the air, via waves that we neither see nor hear, but they’re out there where we are, criss-crossing all around us day and night... So what about water drop-lets? Can they travel through the world outside our senses? No. But almost...Smart, a concept so modern, fl exible and variable, embodies adaptability, effi ciency, technology and sustaina-bility, but also intelligence and the application of knowledge to make everyday life simpler and more con-venient. It’s a name that already has a number of associations, including “phones” and “city”, plus TVs, cars and any mechanical and electronic equip-ment you could possibly think of.Metering is another of this latter type of associations, referring to a system that not only puts an end to the obli-gation to be at home when the water meter reader calls, but also serves to control consumption, detect leakages, reveal fraudulent practice and so on.The rest is up to the waves, the ones that go through us without us being aware, and that in this case even carry drops that don’t even splash us.

A WIN-WIN SITUATION

From the technical point of view, Smart Metering allows strict monitoring of water inputs and outputs, as it reveals abusive usage, leakages, burst pipes, uneven ows and even fraud from illegal water supply connections.

There are many bene ts for the concessionary company. The total reliability of the measurements taken for consumption drastically reduces the number of complaints and makes dealing with them easier; it also does away with estimated calculations when nobody was at home when the meter was read. Knowing people’s habits can also enable more exible rates to be applied or billing frequency to be altered.

At last, every user can know exactly how much water they have used, broken down into hourly bands. And what’s more, the system can be set to sound the alarm if a leakage is detected or if the consumption rate is higher than usual. But it is also possible to know beforehand the amount payable on the bill or compare usage over different periods of time.

AN EXACT CALCULATION DOWN TO THE LAST DROP

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> FASCINATING UNDERGROUNDIn both fi lm and literature, many stories have featured sewage tunnels as part of the action.

IN FOCUS

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Damp, desolate, mysterious, un-known... sewerage networks don’t generally get a very good press. Victor Hugo described the Paris sewerage tunnels as a dangerous underworld in Les Miserables; Gaston Leroux made them the home of his Phantom of the Opera, who terrorised music lovers in the French capital. And urban myth had it that a legion of ‘sewer gators’ far more dangerous than the Mutant Nin-ja Turtles roamed the sewerage tunnels underneath New York. Sewerage net-works haven’t fared too well in history ei-ther, sometimes providing escape routes for all kinds of unpleasant characters. In the Second World War, they served as refuges for people fleeing from the Nazis or for getting food and reinforce-ments to the besieged city of Stalingrad.Other times they were favourite routes for drug traffi ckers and criminals escap-ing capture by the authorities. In fact, cinema has made the most of this dark reputation of sewer tunnels to perpetu-ate famous chase scenes, like the one featuring Orson Welles in The Third Man, fi lmed in Vienna.And yet, its sewer networks are per-haps one of the factors that best refl ect a community’s level of progress, be-cause since time immemorial, having a sewage system has improved its inhabitants’ quality of life. Sewage systems ensure better hygiene by removing wastewater, they help pro-tect against fl ooding and reduce the spillage of contaminated water into the environment to a minimum.As it happens, half of the waste that reaches the sea comes from the sewage system. Of course, all this is no more than pure theory. To fulfil the purpose

ALTHOUGH LITERATURE AND FILM HAVE PERSISTENTLY GIVEN THEM A BAD PRESS, DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ARE VITAL FOR MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY IN ANY CITY. THIS IS WHY TOWNS ARE STARTING TO INVEST IN INTEGRATED AND LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF THESE MEANDERING LABYRINTHS RUNNING UNDERNEATH OUR FEET.

A TOUR ROUND THE LEAST KNOWN NETWORK IN EVERY CITY

SEWAGE SYSTEM

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IN FOCUS

> STAGED SYSTEMAdvanced Sewerage Network Cleaning Management is implemented in several stages, from studying or mapping the subsoil through to the diagnostic process and solutions.

GALIA IS AQUALOGY’S SERVICE FOR GUARANTEEING CORRECT FUNCTIONING OF SEWERAGENETWORKS IN CITIES

and environmental contamination. At this point, common sense invites us to think that fi rst and foremost we need to ensure good maintenance to prevent this kind of thing happening. However, sometimes no-one knows where the network actually runs, and its condition and needs are also an unknown quantity. Inadequate design, successive altera-tions around the town, the age of the system and badly planned cleaning can complicate something that seems so easy to resolve.So apparently easy. Generally speaking, towns and cities have always dealt with problems as they arise. Or, through lack of knowledge they have embarked on preventive tasks that have not always been effective. But all this is about to change for several reasons: social pressure from the local community, who demand quality of life, plus an increasingly strict legal framework. So now it’s time for integrated solutions. GALIA stands for Advanced Sewer-age Network Cleaning Management and is the service that Aqualogy pro-vides to guarantee correct functioning

of that sewerage network. The fi rst step is to carry out a study and, if necessary, map the intricate pathways taken by the sewerage network through the bowels of the city. Next, it’s time for the inspec-tion, involving fi eld visits and equipment with closed circuit television cameras. Meanwhile, as much information as pos-sible is being gathered about the area’s history, its trouble spots and about its his-tory of problems, enabling an accurate diagnosis of its needs to be made.Only then is it time to plan the cleaning operation, deciding where and with what frequency, so as not to clean an already cleaned area. Based on this planning pro-cess, the work should be done using the appropriate means and the best practice.The results can be seen in a number of Spanish cities where GALIA takes care of the cleaning process; including Zaragoza, San Sebastián, Huelva, Reus. Lastly, GA-LIA provides the contracting Administra-tion with full information on the condition of the network and its needs, planning, action taken and results obtained. The aim is to make the whole process as trans-parent as possible for the client.

DRAINAGE AND THE SEWERAGE NETWORK

NEEDS SOLUTIONS

PEACE OF MIND• Legal.• Good service to the local community.• Functional.

TRANSPARENCY• Financial / Operational.• Social (ability to respondto local community concerns).

OPTIMISATION OF RESOURCES• Costs.• Investments.

Transparency

Optimising Investment

Minimising Risk

Quality / Price

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for which they were built, these under-ground drainage channels must be kept clean and free from blockages. And yet in most of the world’s major cities, this is not always the case. Usually, local in-habitants only realise something is wrong with the system when problems arise, and this is when the Adminis-tration becomes involved.If the network lacks suffi cient capacity in times of heavy rainfall, the water pressure can blow the lids off drain covers in the street or propel liquid through the gutters or gratings that are supposed to drain it away. The consequences are well known: fl ooded ground floors and car parks, financial losses, social damage and sometimes even personal injury. As part of the portfolio of services, Aqualogy provides sewerage network maintenance. As Francisco Castillo, S&T Operations Di-rector, says: “the company’s methodolo-gy, planned interventions and advanced technology enable savings to be made on resources and increase the effi ciency of the process”.According to Francisco Castillo, Aqualogy has been spearheading work in this area for various reasons. “In what is really a low added value activity, we have developed tech-nology and innovation and we have developed and consolidated a wide ranging risk prevention culture”.Aqualogy’s policy can be summarised, says Castillo, as “to considerably reduce the environmental impact of any inter-vention, the costs of which are always kept under control.Any investments made are eff ective and effi cient”. In the specifi c case of sewerage networks, an old and badly maintained system that leaks water into the environment can create pot-holes that undermine the surface and lead to subsidence.Also, if overflow channels are in poor structural condition or dirty this may lead to unwanted spillages into river basins or the sea, resulting in pollution

ADVANCED SEWERAGE NETWORK CLEANING MANAGEMENT GALIA

Cartografía, históricos,

GIS, PD Inspección

Conocimiento de la red

Estado funcional óptimo

Análisis de la información Informes a clientes

Planificación (recursos, itinerarios)

Replanificación (si aplica)

Ejecución

Control de Calidad

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Mapping, history, GIS, PD Inspection

Information analysis. Client report.

Optimum functional state

Quality control

Execution

Planning (resources, itineraries)

Re-planning (if applicable)

Knowledge of the network

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THE IMAGE

Like little lighthouses protecting the oceans

They could be a fl otilla of ships leaving their wake across the sea. But they’re not. On 15 June 2013, NA-SA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the Canary Islands, winning the photography competition run by the North American Space Agency. We reproduce it here to mark World Environment Day, recently dedicated to Small Island Developing States, whose physical features make them more susceptible to climate change.

This also includes the seven islands in the Canary archipelago, where there is a growing number of initia-tives aimed at looking after the health of the marine en-vironment. Aqualogy is collaborating in this task with the Canarias Costa Limpia (Canaries Clean Coast) project, intended to raise awareness about the impact of waste spillage on beaches. Aqualogy supports tourism, the archipelago’s main industry, with COastal WAter MAnagement (COWAMA) technology.

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PLANET WATER

of water. Work was started on decon-taminating La Virgen swamp, the Bay, and the city’s lagoons and canals.Now, the Cartagena Submarine Dis-charge Outlet and the Wastewater Pre-Treatment Plant in the small town of Punta Canoas treat and distribute 100% of Cartagena’s wastewater on the Caribbean sea bed.This is the first city in Colombia to achieve anything like this.Motivated by a strong commitment to Cartagena’s local community, plans for upgrading the quality and continu-ity of these services ensured an ongo-ing and rapid improvement of the sit-uation. In addition to this, operationally speaking, responsibilities for everything concerning the city’s supply and sanita-tion were unifi ed, creating a business culture with the 116 customer service hotline, a mobile office and various user services offi ces. Customers now perceive their relationship with the water operator to be closer than ever.

GREEN LUNGSThe environmental concerns that have accompanied all these inter-ventions have resulted in 22 parks and green areas, now acting as the city’s “green lungs” and giving life to lush green landscapes in tourist and residential areas alike.Reforestation has also been ca-rried out in the areas affected by building work, with young trees supplied by the city’s own nur-sery, and the recovery of parks and green areas have been led by community groups and education-al institutions.In short, Cartagena has shed its old skin. In line with its values of commit-ment, capacity and quality, Aqualogy shares the satisfaction felt by local peo-ple in the way that services have been extended to reach disadvantaged citi-zens. This purpose continues to stim-ulate us to improve and work to serve the city of Cartagena and its in-habitants.

INDICATORS 1995 2013 Variation%

Water Supply Coverage 74.40% 99.91% 34

Sewerage System Coverage 60.81% 90.32% 49

Users Supplied Water supply 82,068 233,651 185

Users Supplied Sewerage system 67,076 211,234 215

Length of Supply Network (km)) 789 1,488 89

Length of Sewerage Network (km) 541 1,070 98

Continuity of Service 14 hours 24 hours 71

Drinking Water Treatment Capacity 165,000 m3/day 265,000 m3/day 61

Micro-measurement 45.40% 99.68% 120

Performance 30.00% 67.11% 61

COMPARISON OF MANAGEMENT INDICATORS BETWEEN 1995 AND 2013

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Quality of life in the CaribbeanHOW AND WHY CARTAGENA DE INDIAS HAS SHED ITS OLD SKIN

The Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias is on the Aqualogy map as a signifi cant success in terms of water supply efficiency and social responsibility. Plus, it’s a fi ne exam-ple of sustainable development.This Caribbean gem, now a World Heritage Site, is a model success story in public-private partnership in the water sector. It all began nineteen years ago. Barely 92,000 users were registered on the system. Today, after the massive transformation that came out of that partnership, the city boasts a sewerage system and an exempla-ry water supply system serving more than 238,000 people.The instrument of progress has been the Empresa de Servicios Pú-blicos Mixta (Mixed Public Services Company) comprising Cartagena City Council and the Agbar Group, with Aqualogy providing technolog-ical expertise. The system operator, Acuacar, was facing a critical situa-tion in 1994-95.Hardly any investment, low income,

> GREEN LUNGRecovering parks and gardens has resulted in better quality of life.

unstable commercial management, a drinking water supply deficit of 60,000 m3 per day, plus distribution network losses of 70% made for a devastating outlook. Now, all that is only a memory. Cartagena de In-dias has improved its inhabitants’ quality of life thanks to its alliance with Aqualogy. Local people enjoy good quality water and sanitation, and the city is developing a tourism model that includes some of the best hotel and gastronomy provi-sion in the Caribbean.But it has not been an easy road to travel. After the mixed society was constituted, major investments were

made for collecting raw water and improving the production system. The most outstanding were the ex-pansion of the Dolores Pumping Station and the construction of the Conejos Pumping Station, guaran-teeing a permanent water supply.Global flow meters were installed and a sludge treatment system was built. Basically, an endless series of works to give the city the facilities it deserves.Building the Cartagena de Indias Sub-marine Discharge Outlet, for example, was a milestone project and marked the beginning of the environmental clean-up in the city’s internal bodies

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www.aqualogy.net

Aqualogy offers integrated solutions for efficient water management, making all of its knowledge available for sustainable development.

Optimised water and energy use, applying Aqualogy’s experience and technology, helps reduce costs and the water footprint of industries and our environment

INTEGRATED WATER SOLUTIONS FORSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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More than water

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VIEWPOINT

“FOR ME, THE SEA IS ABOUT HAPPINESS”

Tamara Echegoyen London 2012 Olympic Sailing Gold Medallist

Gold and water are her thing. She has won everything at sea on a boat: European and World titles plus the Olympic Games. Please meet Tamara Echegoyen.

What does water mean in your life?The sea and water are what make me happy. I always take to the sea when I have some sort of setback. I feel free out there. Although it’s where I’ve had my share of disappointments, it’s almost my birthplace.

How aware are you of looking after water?I’ve always been pretty much aware of the need to care for the sea. It’s vital to keep water in the best possible condition because that’s where I spend most of my life.In everyday life, with all the campaigns, I’ve also become more aware of the need to look after what we’ve got.

What other water sports do you practise?Lots. Paddle surf, for example. I try to surf but I don’t consider myself a serious surfer.I swim too. I have to be a strong swimmer as we fall into the water so often.

A glass of water - half full or half empty?I thrive in the face of adversity. My sporting ca-reer hasn’t been easy but I’ve achieved my goals. I always see the glass as half full...

An unforgettable marine landscape?A World Championship event some time ago in Fortaleza. It has stuck in my mind for the country, Brazil, for the people, for what it meant to me and for how much I enjoyed those 15 days.

Are you a water drinker?I drink loads. It’s one of the things my coach is always saying to me. It’s essential to be well hy-drated in our sport. ©

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